obama holding a lead. this morning it's six points. >> this is the ball game for mitt romney right now because if he doesn't do well in this debate, it's going to be hard for him to get back in the race. >> reporter: both candidates have checklists. dos and don'ts for the debate. mitt romney has to avoid appearing detached, that he can't relate to average americans. his to-do list, the three cs, show some compassion, that he's competent and that he can, indeed, connect to voters. >> all three of those things, he suffered over the last couple of months, especially the last couple of weeks. this those three cs, that's where he's got to do really well. >> reporter: while they lead in the polls, team obama know that debates can be a game-changer. so the president will have to look strong and forceful, not passive, and he needs to avoid appearing irritable or impatient, and don't be long-winded. >> they're trying to get him into the mode of being able to answer questions short, concisely and to the point, and s